R Street Testimony before the Washington House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee in Support of WA HB 1448, Allowing RCV in Local Elections
Testimony from:
Dr. Jonathan Madison, Governance Fellow, R Street Institute
In SUPPORT of HB 1448, “AN ACT Relating to increasing representation and voter participation in local elections.”
February 4th, 2025
Washington House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee
Chair Mena and members of the committee:
My name is Dr. Jonathan Madison, and I am a governance fellow at the R Street Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization. Our mission is to engage in policy analysis and outreach to promote limited and effective government in many areas, including election administration. This is why we have an interest in House Bill 1448.
Ranked-choice voting (RCV), as implemented in HB 1448, offers a more representative electoral process, ensuring that winning candidates have broad support. Under Washington’s current top-two system, candidates with a dedicated but small following can progress to the general election even if they lack majority support.[1] By contrast, RCV rewards candidates who appeal to a broader electorate, encouraging coalition-building and reducing the chances of extreme or highly polarizing candidates advancing due to vote-splitting.[2] Additionally, advancing the top five candidates from the primary election provides voters with more choices, while RCV ensures that the eventual winner has broad consensus support, reinforcing the legitimacy of the election outcome.[3]
If HB 1448 becomes law, participating jurisdictions will join numerous others nationwide where RCV has fostered more competitive and representative elections. [4]
This bill also provides a structured and thoughtful approach to implementing RCV. HB 1448 ensures a smoother process by establishing clear guidelines, supporting jurisdictions with implementation resources, and creating a work group to research and implement best practices and provide for voter education.
It is important to emphasize that this bill does not impose RCV on any jurisdiction—it simply provides the option for local governments to adopt it if they choose. This flexibility allows local communities to decide what election method works best for them while ensuring that any adoption of RCV is conducted within a well-regulated framework. A vote for this bill is not a vote in favor of RCV; instead, it is a vote to give Washington localities more choices for creating a more representative government.
At a time when confidence in elections is paramount, HB 1448 provides a means to strengthen trust in our democratic processes by ensuring more representative outcomes, improving election administration, and granting local jurisdictions the autonomy to choose whether to implement these reforms. For these reasons, we encourage favorable consideration and passage of HB 1448.
Thank you for your time,
Dr. Jonathan Madison
Governance Fellow
R Street Institute
[1] Matt Germer, “The Good, the Bad, and the In-Between: Washington’s Implementation of Top-Two Voting,” R Street Policy Study No. 292, Sept. 2023. https://www.rstreet.org/research/the-good-the-bad-and-the-in-between-washingtons-implementation-of-top-two-voting.
[2] Unite America Institute, “Instant Runoffs”, accessed February 3, 2025, https://www.uniteamerica.org/instant-runoffs.
[3] Matt Germer, “The Two Top Ways to improve Top-Two Elections,” R Street Explainer, Oct. 16, 2023. https://www.rstreet.org/research/the-two-top-ways-to-improve-top-two-elections.
[4] Rachel Leven and Tyler Fisher, “Alaska’s Election Model: How the Top-Four Nonpartisan Primary System Improves Participation, Competition, and Representation,” Unite America Institute, October 2023, https://www.uniteamericainstitute.org/research/alaskas-election-model-how-the-top-four-nonpartisan-primary-system-improves-participation-competition-and-representation.